A Summer of Discovery
by misspatchesmom
Summary: Tony and Tali in the summer of 2016 (May – September) Parallel story to 'Ziva's Journey'.' Part of the 'You Complete Me' universe.
1. Stateside May June

A Summer of Discovery

_Tony and Tali in the summer of 2016 (May – September) Parallel story to 'Ziva's Journey'_

Chapter 1: Stateside – May/June

Tony watched Tali sleeping on the sofa as he surfed the internet; he had started by searching for crash courses in conversational Hebrew. After saving a few links to websites, he started searching for news about the fire at the David farmhouse. Part of him dreaded reading the news stories and part of him needed to know what happened. Since finding the CD and other clues from Ziva, his gut said that she was alive. But where was she? Why did she send Tali to him by herself? What wasn't Orli telling him?

His heart hurt; his head reeled; and yet, deep down, he felt a pull on his soul. She was out there, and her soul was calling his. He would find her if that was what was needed. Even with a toddler in tow, he would search until the woman he loved with all of his being was in his arms again.

He glanced over at Tali as she sighed in her sleep and clutched Kelev to her chest. Tali, his daughter. Tali, Ziva's daughter. Tali, their daughter, his and Ziva's. Proof of their love for one another, with Ziva's features and wild curls, and his smile and eyes. While it was a bit disconcerting to see his eyes looking back at him, if she had Ziva's eyes, he would have burst into tears every time he looked at the little girl. In many ways, nearly two year old Tali reminded him of her mother at age three and one half. Tony had never imagined that his heart could be filled with so much love; every day with Tali that love grew a bit more.

Senior was over the moon in love with the toddler. He had gone out and splurged on toys, clothing, and books for the little one. Tony had drawn the line at furniture, preferring to keep it simple until he decided where he and Tali were going to live. He purchased a toddler bed and a simple dresser to match. Tali had been with him and choose the mint green and purple set.

Tali took to Tim readily, climbing into her "uncle's" lap when he came over to help Tony with searches on the clues that Ziva had left for him. At the last visit, Tali had hugged Tim and called him "Unka Gee." Tony swore that he saw tears in Tim's eyes, but said nothing. He discretely wiped his own tears on his sleeve when he thought Tim wasn't looking.

Tali's second birthday was fast approaching. Tony wanted to have a small party, but he was not sure who he would invite. The only two on the list for sure were Senior and Tim. Maybe he'd invite Gibbs, but the man who had been his boss for fifteen years, and like a father to him, had yet to interact with Tali. He had barely acknowledged her in the days prior to Tony's resignation.

Over the remainder of the month of May, he and Tali grew to know each other. He learned toddler Hebrew. 'Ani raev' meant that she was hungry. 'Ani tzameh' meant she was thirsty. 'Ani ayef' meant she was tired. 'Ani rotseh lessacheq' meant she wanted to play. 'Safar' was her book. 'Kelev' was the dog. (Note to self, thought Tony, do not lose track of Kelev.) It became a game for the two of them; father and daughter would practice Hebrew and English together.

"Ani tzameh, Abba," Tali pointed to her juice cup.

"I am thirsty," Tony repeated in English.

"Tirs-tee," Tai grinned as her Abba handed her the juice.

"Ani tzameh," he repeated and returned the grin.

Slowly but surely Tony was getting the hang of the Dad thing. He could read Tali's moods after two weeks; she was so much like her mother. He began to establish a routine for her, something all of the parenting websites emphasized and the Gremlin had suggested as well.

The most challenging times were when Tali had a melt-down or tantrum, and when she kept asking for Ima. Often the latter led to the former. Tony empathized with his baby when she missed her mother; he missed the Ninja so much it hurt. More often than not, when he tried to soothe a crying and screaming Tali, he would end up in tears himself. Father and daughter together cried themselves to sleep on more than one occasion.

It was on one of those nights when both father and daughter had been inconsolable that Tony awoke with a start about 0200. Tali was softly snoring next to him on the bed, Kelev firmly in her grasp. He sat up carefully, trying to not disturb the sleeping little girl. He stretched his neck and felt the muscles protesting. Falling asleep with a toddler clinging to him had caused him to be in an awkward position on the bed. But he would do it again in a heartbeat; whatever the mini-ninja needed, he would find a way to get it.

His sudden awakening was prompted by one of those needs; his baby needed her mother. Her Abba needed the Ninja more than he cared to admit. What had awakened him was the feeling that she was calling to him; asking him to find her yet another time. He padded out of the bedroom and opened his laptop. He checked his e-mail; nothing from the love of his life. Nothing on his phone either.

An ad for tourism in Israel caught his eye; as soon as he saw the pictures of the beaches at Haifa, he knew what he had to do. After a few clicks, he was booking a flight to Tel Aviv for himself and Tali for 20 June. It felt right; he hoped he would find answers in Israel. He also booked a rental car but skipped booking a hotel. They would stay at the Haifa beach house if possible. As long as the hidden key was still under the porch, Tony knew how to get into the house.

"Sweetcheeks, I'm going to find you," he whispered into the night. "And when I do, I am never leaving you again… You are going to be stuck with me for life!"


	2. Israel - June July

Chapter 2: Israel – June/July

Two days after Tali's low key birthday party, father and daughter were boarding an El Al jet for Tel Aviv. Tony asked Tim to take them to Dulles for the overnight flight. He packed mostly for Tali; his large suitcase was filled with the toddler's clothes, diapers, and other items. Her go bag contained several toys, Kelev, board books, and snacks. Tony packed his duffle bag with his own clothes, mostly jeans, casual pants, t-shirts, and less formal button-down shirts. He packed his own carry-on bag with diapers, more snacks for Tali, and his gummy bears.

At the check-in, Tim had helped Tony get their baggage checked and watched over Tali while Tony got things squared away for the flight. Tim walked as far as he could with his best friend. He hugged Tali, telling her to take care of her Abba.

"Tim, thanks," Tony held out his hand, but then changed his mind and drew his brother into a hug. "I… I… don't know how I would have made it through the last month without you."

Tim patted his brother's back, "You would have found a way. Find her and bring her home, Tony."

"Will do. Love you, bro," Tony felt tears forming and tried to blink them away.

"Back at ya," Tim sniffled and blinked away his tears.

Father and daughter walked to the security checkpoint as Tim tried not to let a tear slip down his face. He fervently hoped that Tony's feeling that Ziva was alive was accurate. He prayed that his brother of the heart would find his love quickly, for all of their sakes. Tali needed her mother **and** father; Tony needed his soulmate, as did Ziva.

"Vayan con Dios," Tim whispered as Tony and Tali disappeared from his sight. He turned and headed back to the parking garage.

Once through security, Tony slung his backpack over his shoulder and Tali's go bag over the other shoulder. He scooped up his baby girl into his arms as they boarded the shuttle to get to their gate. She rested her head on his chest and watched the other travelers and the sights of the airport.

He rested against the wall of the shuttle as they moved through the concourses. Where are you Ziva? His mind drifted to their final days together in 2013; he should have stayed with her. He could feel her out there somewhere, but where was 'somewhere?' A tap on his cheek brought him back to the here and now.

"Abba?" Tali patted her father's cheek with her hand. "Abba?"

"Shh, Tali, it's okay."

She frowned at him, "Where we go?"

"In an airplane, baby, to Israel," he replied. "To find answers…"

"Ima?"

"Yeah, we need answers about Ima," he sighed.

"Want Ima!" she whimpered against his chest.

"Me, too, baby, me too!" he placed a soft kiss on his little girl's curls, inhaling her baby scent. Her curls tickled his face. '_Just like her Ima._' He pulled Tali just a bit closer to his chest, his hands protecting her from the world. "Ani ohev otach, yaldati," he whispered to her.

When he found their gate, he settled Tali into a chair near the ramp entrance. He pulled out his tablet so she could watch one of her Disney movies while father and daughter waited for boarding. She leaned back against him with the tablet in her lap and Kelev clutched to her side. Within twenty minutes, he could hear her soft snores as she slumped into his lap. With his free hand, he pried the tablet from her grip and powered it off.

As the little one slept, her father remembered cuddling with Ziva and how she loved to use him as a pillow. His arms longed to be wrapped around his soulmate; his heart ached for the love of his life. He resolved that he would find her, whatever it took.

Airline personnel arrived at the counter by the gate; he checked the clock by the message board by the entrance to the ramp. About an hour to go to departure; they would be boarding soon. He packed the tablet into his backpack and made sure that Kelev was firmly in Tali's grip. He was almost paranoid about the stuffed dog after one incident in the park when Tali had dropped Kelev on the walkway. She had started screaming 'Kelev, Kelev,' and trying to get out of the stroller. When he realized that she didn't have the toy, he stopped and looked back, spotting the plush dog about twenty feet behind them. He ran the stroller back to the toy, scooping it up and handing the puppy to Tali. She had grabbed it and clasped the toy to her chest firmly babbling as she stroked the toy with her hand. Crisis averted and Abba made a mental note to always keep track of Kelev.

"Welcome to El Al; thank you for choosing our airline for your trip to Tel Aviv – Yafo. We will be boarding in about ten minutes. Please allow families with small children to board first." Tony stood up juggling Tali and his backpack. He managed to sling the pack over his shoulder and reached for her go bag. The backpack slid down his arm as Tali shifted in her sleep. He tried again; getting all three situated precariously and headed to the gate.

"Boarding pass, sir?"

Tony thought about where he had placed the boarding passes. "Um, outer pocket of my backpack; should be sticking up from the pocket," he turned so the attendant could see his backpack. "You have my permission to remove the passes from the pocket."

"First time flying with the little one?" the attendant was friendly and sympathetic. She separated the portions she needed for both boarding passes and held out the part Tony kept. He wiggled his fingers to indicate that she should place the envelope in his hand and smiled at her.

"Yep," he replied, thinking little did she know that it was his first time with a LOT that happened in Tali's life in the past month. "Thanks."

"Have a good trip, sir. Enjoy Israel!"

Tony nodded an acknowledgment and headed down the ramp. At their seats in first class, he carefully laid Tali on the seats. She immediately sprawled out like a starfish, taking up most of the two seats. He grinned at how much his mini-Ninja was like her mother. Tali opened her eyes briefly and whimpered softly when she realized that Abba was no longer holding her.

"Easy, mini-Ninja. Let Abba get our bags in the overhead bin and then I'll hold you again, baby." Tony quickly stuffed his backpack and Tali's go bag in the compartment over their seats. He scooted the toddler onto her own seat so he could sit down. He reached down to get Kelev off the floor as Tali opened her eyes again.

"Abba?" she gave him a wide-eyed look.

Tony put his hand on her back and offered Kelev to the baby for comfort. She moved around so that her head was on his leg as he rubbed her back.

"Abba, go awrpane find Ima?"

He fought back a tear, "I hope so, baby, I hope so…"

"Tali love Ima. Tali love Abba. Ima love Abba!"

"And Abba loves Tali! Abba loves Ima too." He reflected on how different his life had become in just one short month. This little person who was half Ziva and half him had turned his world upside down and for the better. He had never thought it possible to love someone so small with the amount of love he had for the mini-Ninja. Not only was he not terrified of this child, but he was also head over heels smitten with the proof of his and Ziva's love. The proof that he and Ziva had thrown Rule 12 out the window; maybe that was why his former boss had seemed to hold Tali at a distance. Stupid Rule 12.

The flight attendants started the safety lecture and reminded everyone to buckle up. Tony made sure his seat belt was fastened before securing Tali in her seat. The little girl was sound asleep, oblivious to all going on around her. Tony leaned back against his seat and sighed. He kept his hand on Tali as the plane taxied and then took off. Once the seatbelt sign turned off, he undid her seatbelt and pulled her against him. The mini-Ninja sighed in her sleep and cuddled into her Abba.

At the Tel Aviv-Yafa airport, Tony put a still sleepy Tali on his hip while he balanced his backpack and Tali's go bag on the opposite shoulder. He followed the signs for baggage claim hoping Tali would be awake enough to sit on a nearby chair while he snagged their bags. Then he would head to the car rental counter to get their vehicle for the stay in Israel. As he was checking out the chairs closest to the baggage carousel a hand grabbed his arm.

He was about to turn quickly using his backpack as a weapon when Tali spoke. She spotted a familiar face behind them.

"Shalom Adam!"

"Shalom Tali; shalom Tony," Adam greeted the two he had come to intercept.

"Adam," Tony was curt. He didn't trust any of the Israelis, even though Adam had been more than helpful when it came to matters concerning his Ninja. "To what do we owe this surprise?"

"I saw your name on the passenger list; I figured you are here to learn more about Ziva?" Adam was direct; he really wanted to help.

"By scaring the day lights out of me?" Tony was going to be cautious for now.

"Sorry about that; I had to get your attention somehow," Adam offered an apology. "Let me get your bags for you." He moved towards the baggage claim carousel which was just springing to life.

"Okay, I guess. Balancing a toddler, carry-ons, and suitcases is a challenge," Tony pointed to their suitcase. "The black leather suitcase is Tali's stuff." He watched for his duffel as Adam snagged the large case. "There's my duffel," he pointed to the black duffel. "Thanks."

Adam followed Tony in the direction of the car rental counter. "Wait, Tony," he called out.

"Now what?"

"Do not get the rental car; I will get you transportation to use while you are in Israel," Adam replied. He moved closer to Tony. "Mossad cannot track you in my personal vehicle as they can in a rental."

"Gotcha," Tony's gut instinct not to trust the Israelis was right on once again. "Lead the way…" He shifted Tali slightly on his hip and followed Adam to the parking garage.

Once at the car, Adam put the bags in the cargo area in the rear. He pointed to the car seat for Tali and opened the door for Tony to put the toddler in.

"Where are you staying?"

"Haifa house," Tony replied. "I know how to get inside, and it's probably familiar to Tali. That gonna work or will I be under Mossad eyes there?"

"Mossad watches you anywhere you go, but the Haifa house will be a good place to stay. Yes, Tali is very familiar with it," the Israeli motioned for Tony to get in the front passenger seat. As uncomfortable as Tony felt letting Adam control their movement, his gut said to trust the man.

Once at the Haifa house, Tony ducked under the porch and easily found the key. He grinned to himself as he snagged it from the nail where it was hanging. His mind wandered back to 1983 and little Ziva emerging with a huge grin and the key. The memories of the impromptu trip in the fall of 2012 and then the times they visited in the summer of 2013 also flooded in. He hoped the Haifa house would continue to generate happy memories, not just for him, but also for Ziva and Tali in the years to come.

Tony unlocked the front door as Adam carried the larger pieces of luggage from the car. Tali ran inside looking in all the rooms.

"Ima?" came his baby's cries from each room she entered. "Ima?" His heart broke into a million pieces hearing Tali's ever more desperate calls. He followed the sounds from the toddler.

"Ima? IMA!" Tali's voice broke and Tony could tell that she was about to lose it.

"Tali," he scooped her up into his arms as the little girl's tears started. "Baby, Ima's not here. I'm sad too that she isn't, but I've got you. We can make some new memories, okay?"

"Want Ima," Tali wiped her nose on her Abba's shoulder. "Want Ima."

Tony blinked away his tears, "I know, baby. Me too." Maybe staying at the Haifa house wasn't such a good idea after all. He decided to see how things went and if needed they would go stay at a hotel. It depended on Tali and how well she could deal with the absence of her Ima in a place she obviously connected with her mother.

Tony carried Tali back to the living room where Adam waited.

Adam handed the keys to his car to Tony, "Use my car for as long as you are here in Israel."

Tony started to protest, but Adam cut him off. "I have a ride coming and I have other vehicles. Let me help you, Tony." Tony nodded; his gut was telling him to trust the Israeli. Adam looked out into the driveway as a second car pulled in. "I will call you tomorrow; get settled in with Tali and rest up from your trip."

"Toda, Adam."

Tony moved his bags to the master bedroom; Tali still on his hip. She watched as he then put her bags in the room that had once been Ziva's. Tali grinned when he put her on the bed.

"Tali room," she declared. "Mine." She climbed off the bed and opened the toy box by the window. She started rummaging inside pulling out various toys to show her Abba.

The first two days in Israel were rather chaotic. Tony couldn't get Tali on any schedule, or himself for that matter, since they were still adjusting from US time to Israel time. He found a grocery store and purchased about a week's worth of fruits, vegetables, milk, and other items that he knew Tali would eat. He planned to make as many meals at the house as he could to avoid having to use his rudimentary Hebrew.

He and Tali had just finished breakfast on the morning of 23 June when he heard a car door and then footsteps on the front porch. A sharp rap at the door had him reaching for his weapon; the weapon that no longer occupied a space on his hip. Adam came the day before and had not indicated that he'd be back until Shabbat. Tony looked over at Tali playing with her board books and moved to the door. He cautiously opened it just enough to see who was on the porch.

"Shalom, Tony," Orli Elbaz greeted the former NCIS agent.

"Orli," Tony was short with the Mossad director; until she showed her hand, he had no reason to be courteous or even to invite her inside.

Tali spoke up from his side, "Sh'lom, Or-wi." Tony tried not to jump; darn mini-Ninja had her mother's stealth for sure. He sighed and opened the door for the woman to come into the house.

"I assume you had a good trip over," Orli started with pleasantries.

Tony nodded and pulled Tali nearer to him as the Mossad director sat on the sofa in the living room. He put Tali on the love seat and sat between his daughter and Orli. "We did." He met her gaze, trying to read nonverbal clues. Damn Israelis and their Mossad training; he never could get any cues from any of them except Ziva.

"I suppose you are wondering why I am here," she began. He nodded again. "Let me say again how sorry I am that you have lost…"

"Cut the crap, Orli," Tony was not going to play this game again. "Tell me what you know."

She stared at him, daring him to be the first to break eye contact. He stared back; she motioned to Tali. "Perhaps we should move where Tali cannot hear…"

"No; my daughter stays with me," Tony held the gaze even as the Mossad director looked at the child.

"As you wish; where should I begin?" Orli paused as if in thought, then continued. "Mossad examined the remains of the farmhouse. We found a body of a female, matching Ziva's general description, in the remains…"

"And you didn't think to tell me this sooner? Where is she? Has the body been positively identified? How…" Orli held up her hand to cut him off.

"Listen carefully, we found a body matching Ziva's general description. Mossad arranged for a proper burial." Orli leaned closer to Tony as she carefully spoke each word. He slowly nodded that he understood her message; Mossad had used the body to spread the word of Ziva's 'death' to those who might have interest in that information.

"Okay; so how did Tali get to you?"

Orli shook her head, "The less you know, the better for you and Tali. Now, I can arrange for one of my officers to take you to the farm if you wish. I can also arrange for someone to watch Tali while you make the trip."

Tony responded quickly, "No thank you. My daughter does not leave my side. IF I choose to visit the farm and the remains of the house, I will go on my own. After all, the property now belongs to me and my daughter…" He stopped talking when he realized that he had given away something that he knew that Orli might not.

"I am aware that Ziva made arrangements for everything to have your name on it, including the various properties here in Israel and around the world, as well as the many bank accounts that she inherited from her father," Orli smirked. Tony wanted to wipe the smirk off her face, but held his temper for Tali's sake.

She reached into her bag and withdrew a large envelope-type file. It was thick with papers. She handed the packet to Tony, "You will find most of the information you need in here. I have also included a copy of Ziva's birth certificate for your records. There is a complete listing of all known assets of Eli David that were inherited by Ziva, both in Israel and abroad. I have also taken the liberty of adding bank account information, and when I could, an access card for the account in your name, for the accounts at Israeli banks. Ziva is a very rich woman, Tony."

"Toda," he glanced at the packet of information. It was at least two inches thick. It would take some time to sort through everything; he hoped that at least part of the documentation was in English.

Orli stood up, "If you need anything while you are here, my personal cell phone number is on the top sheet in the envelope. Call me." Tony walked her to the door and watched her drive off. He still did not trust the woman as far as he could throw her, but he had to admit that she had put a small crack in his distrust.

Adam and his family came to over for Shabbat midday meal and the two families spent part of the afternoon on the beach. As the children played in the sand, Adam told Tony what he knew of Ziva's exit plan and that he had brought Tali to Orli well before the mortar strike. Tony thanked Adam and Zevi for helping Ziva and Tali.

The next week was quiet; Tony and Tali stayed in the house, went to the beach most mornings, and did some shopping at the grocery store for the new week. They explored the markets in Haifa, some of which Tony remembered from earlier visits with Ziva. When Tali napped, and after he got her settled in bed for the night, he read over the documents from Orli. He also listened to the Hebrew language lessons at night, building his conversational Hebrew skills.

On 30 June, Tali woke very early in the morning screaming for her Ima and Abba. Tony rushed to her room and scooped her into his arms. He carried the sobbing little girl to the rocking chair on the porch, and wrapped his arms around her. She clutched at his t shirt and buried her face into his chest.

"Shh, Tali, Abba's got you baby girl. It was just a bad dream. Abba loves you," Tony spoke to the child in his arms. "Ani ohev otach, yaldati."

"Abba," his baby spoke. "Love you. Sing, pweese."

Tony sang to his daughter; he had learned quite by accident that "Numi, numi" was Tali's favorite lullaby. Tony learned it quickly by watching YouTube videos with the transliteration of the words. Tali often settled down when he sang the Hebrew lullaby; Ziva must have sung it to their baby.

Tony stopped singing and continued to slowly rock his baby girl. He felt eyes on him, and looked out into the early morning darkness. He felt Ziva's presence so strongly; her soul was out there close by. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her she could come to him, but he didn't want to wake the now sleeping baby in his arms.

After Tali was in bed for the night on 2 July, Tony checked his email. He decided to check the secure email that Tim had set up for the MCRT years ago just in case. Nothing from Ziva; he hadn't really expected there to be anything. He was about to log out when the urge to send her a message pulled him back.

_'Ziva: I feel your presence every day, especially here in Haifa. I KNOW you were out there nearby on 30 June in the early morning when I was rocking Tali on the porch. I love you Zi; come home to us. Please.'_

He hovered over the send button for a few seconds then tapped to send. All he wanted was to have her back with him; to make a family with their daughter.

At Shabbat dinner at Adam and Zevi's house on 2 July, Tony asked Adam if he would watch Tali while he made the trip to the farmhouse property early the following week. Adam readily agreed to come stay with Tali at the Haifa house on Monday morning so that Tony could make the drive to Tel Aviv.

Adam arrived at 0930 on Monday just as Tony was getting Tali set with several DVDs to watch while he was out. She was watching the opening scenes of _Cars2_ when Adam came to the door. She barely glanced up from the screen when he came into the living room. Tony and Adam chatted for a few minutes before Tony prepared to leave for Tel Aviv.

He walked over to Tali and bent down to her level. "Tali, Abba is going out for a bit; you are going to stay with Adam."

The little girl nodded and continued watching the screen. Tony picked up his wallet and the car keys and headed to the door. "I'll call when I'm headed back," he said to Adam.

"Take whatever time you need," Adam suggested. Tony put his hand on the door to open it and stopped in mid-pull when Tali let out a shriek.

"AB-BA! No go, NO!" The toddler flung herself at her father, screaming over and over, "No go!" Tears poured from her eyes and her face was getting red.

Tony bent down to scoop up the baby and she pushed him away. 'NO AB-BA No!" she screamed and fell onto the floor flailing her arms and legs.

"Tali!" Tony spoke sharply, trying to get Tali to hear him over her screams. "Tali, baby, Abba is here."

She continued to scream and kick as Tony tried to get the child into his arms. She jerked from his touch and screamed louder. He was about to give up in frustration when his gut told him to get on the floor with her. He sat on the floor and then lay next to the toddler as she pounded the floor still screaming and kicking.

"Tali," he spoke softly but firmly. "Abba is here. Ani ohev otach, yaldati." He began singing the 'Numi, numi' lullaby that she liked so much. Adam handed him Kelev. Tony slipped the plush dog into Tali's arms as he continued to sing softly.

Tali's screams and loud sobs turned to hiccupped sobs and then to whimpers as the little girl crawled into her father's arms. She clutched at his shirt and buried her face in his chest. "Abba, Abba," she repeated so pitifully that Tony had to bite his lip to keep from crying with her.

"Shh, it's okay, yaldati," he stroked her back with his hand and rocked side to side as she clung to him. "Abba's got you, baby. Abba won't let anything hurt you."

As Tali's sobs became sniffles and then her breathing slowly evened out, Tony looked to Adam.

"Any ideas?" he spoke softly. "She's never done this before with me."

Adam shrugged, "Have you left her before?"

"Only when she first got to me; my Dad took care of her for a few hours," Tony responded. "Think she's afraid I'm going to leave for good?"

Adam swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Yes. When Ziva handed her to me, she was half asleep that night. I know how hard it was for Ziva to turn and walk away. When Tali realized that I was holding her and that her mother was leaving, she started crying and calling out for her mother. She cried for almost an hour while I held her; she finally cried herself back to sleep. My heart broke for her; I half expected Ziva to come back through that door, even though she told me to wait an hour before taking Tali to Orli."

"But that was at the farmhouse, right?"

"No, Tony, it was here. In this living room…" Adam trailed off remembering that awful night. No wonder poor Tali had the meltdown.

Tony continued to cradle the sleeping little girl as he checked for available hotel rooms in Tel Aviv. He booked a room for three nights and told Adam, "I can't stay here with her with that memory scaring my baby. We'll go to the hotel in Tel Aviv and I can make the visit to the farmhouse property from there."

After the move to the hotel, Tony and Adam arranged for Adam to come to the hotel the next morning for Tony to go to the farmhouse remains. Tali was her happy self again and Tony had no problem leaving the hotel room.

The drive to the farmhouse property was uneventful. As he turned into the driveway, memories of the summer of 2013 flooded in. The video call to Gibbs and Tim, with Ziva standing off camera; he had lied to Gibbs telling the man that he needed to go off the grid for a while to explore a new lead. Gibbs had just nodded assent and cut the call. Memories of August and September with Ziva; good days when her inner demons where bottled up and they spent the days exploring either the country or each other. The bad days when Ziva would be lost in her head, yelling at him to leave before he too got hurt or worse. The memories of their final day together and making love in the olive grove, most likely when they created Tali.

He shook his head and wiped the tears from his face. He opened the car door and grabbed his backpack. The remains of the farmhouse were a blackened pile of rubble. The gaping hole in the center of what had once been the house was the only anomaly. Tony's investigator's senses were tingling. The hole had to be more than just a pit into which the house had collapsed. He looked closer; signs of digging equipment and heavy trucks could be seen in the dirt. The pit itself appeared to have housed something large that had been removed.

Convinced that he was viewing the work of Mossad to cover up yet more of Eli David's secrets, Tony decided he did not want to know more. If he had any choice in the matter, his child would grow up insulated from all things Eli David. She would never be subjected to the fear, the evil, the uncertainty of the realm of her Mossad grandfather.

He turned away from the ruins and headed to the olive grove, carefully counting the rows of trees as he moved within them. When he reached the spot he wanted, the memories of Ziva again filled his thoughts. He opened his pack and removed the collapsible shovel he had borrowed from Adam and began digging.

The thud of the blade against something solid let him know he had found what he was seeking. He lifted the box with Ziva's 'will list' from the hole and noticed a second smaller box underneath it. He moved some more dirt with the shovel and lifted the metal box from the hole. He brushed away the soil from its top and saw the numbers.

Numbers that matched those on the clues Ziva left in Tali's go bag. Numbers that he now knew were the latitude and longitude of the Paris flat where he and Ziva had stayed years ago. He opened the box to reveal a folded piece of paper and a key.

'_Jean-Paul; the flat is ours. Sophie'_


	3. Paris - July

Chapter 3: Paris – July (10 July)

After finding the key to the Paris flat, Tony reserved tickets for a flight there on 10 July for him and Tali that night after he got Tali in bed. In the morning, he checked out of the Tel Aviv hotel and drove back to the Haifa house to spend the three days before the flight doing laundry, packing, and using perishable food. He also made a large pan of lasagna and put half of it into individual servings in the freezer on the chance that Ziva came back to the house. The rest was consumed when he invited Adam, Zevi and their kids over for one last meal before he and Tali left Israel.

He wrote several notes to Ziva and left them around the house, hidden in plain sight. On a whim, he left a lightweight sweater and one of his OSU shirts in the master bedroom with notes for her as well. As he packed the last of his clothing, he wandered back to the closet with Ziva's clothing. When Tony spotted her bikini on one of the shelves, he couldn't help himself; it had to go with him. He smiled at the memories of Ziva wearing the bikini on the beach in the summer of 2013; how he still wished that he had stayed with her instead of going back to DC.

He shoved the pieces of the swimsuit into the side of his duffel bag. Time to try to catch some sleep before the early morning departure to the airport; Adam would be dropping Zevi at the house to drive Tony and Tali to the airport.

The flight to Paris was smooth and uneventful. He and Tali navigated the Tel Aviv – Yafa airport easily and without too much juggling of bags. Tony felt like a seasoned traveler compared to his trip from DC. The five hour flight offered a meal which both he and Tali enjoyed. El-Al was fast becoming his favorite airline; he had certainly logged plenty of miles with them in since May!

When passing through the security checkpoint in Tel Aviv, Tony had to grin to himself. He had left DC without any keys in his pockets, having handed the keys to his apartment to Tim. In Israel, he managed to accumulate five; the Haifa house, the Paris flat, and three for security deposit boxes at Israeli banks. On the ground in Paris, he jiggled the keys in his pocket just to check they were still there before father and daughter made their way to baggage claim.

While they were in Israel, Tony started giving Tali a running commentary of the things they were doing; he hoped to increase her vocabulary in English by doing so. As they trekked through De Gaulle Airport, he commented to Tali about everything they saw.

She pointed to a colorful display in a shop. "Those are flags, Tali," Tony explained. "They represent countries, states, cities, causes, and other entities. After we get settled in to our new home, we will find a USA flag and an Israeli flag for our home. I want you to know about all of your heritage; the Italians, English, and Irish on my side, and the Israelis on your Ima's side." Tony paused; he realized that he knew very little about Ziva's heritage before Eli and Rivka.

They passed several food shops including familiar fast food restaurants. Tony commented on the familiar shops, and how they would get something to eat after the pair got to their destination. He snagged the suitcase and duffel, tethering them together to head out to the taxi stand.

An older male driver caught Tony's eye and motioned him over. "Avez-vous besoin d'un tour monsieur? Où allez-vous? ‟

"Oui; mais mon français est horrible. Parlez vous anglais ? ‟ Tony smiled apologetically as he handed the suitcase and duffel to the man.

"Yes, sir," came a heavily accented reply. "Your fille is belle," he nodded at Tali as he spoke and the little girl hugged her Abba's leg shyly. "Cheveux, um, hair," the man used his finger to indicate the curls.

"All her Ima, her mother," Tony tousled Tali's hair with his hand and picked up his baby. "Right, Tali; you are a mini-Ninja version of Ima." He put a kiss on her forehead as she grinned at him.

"Her mother is here also?"

Tony shook his head, "Not today; just me and Tali." Tony reached into his pocket after he put Tali in the rear seat of the taxi. He handed the paper from his pocket to the driver, "This is where we are going."

"Very well, sir," the driver motioned for Tony to climb in the car. They drove to the building for the flat with the driver telling them about the sights they passed on the way. He pointed out several bakeries, markets, and cafes along the route, as well as two parks with child-friendly play areas. Tony almost laughed out loud several times as Tali's head swiveled trying to take it all in. Her wide eyes and look of curiosity reminded her father of the missing family member. He flashed back to times when he took Ziva around DC and the surrounding area when she first came to NCIS.

_'We are not buying windows, Tony. Why is it called window shopping?' _ He smiled at the memory of taking his Ninja to a mall; he had learned a lot about her that day just from the comments she made as they passed various stores.

"We are here, sir!" Tony was brought back to the present by the driver as the man pulled to the curb.

"Abba," Tali tugged at her father's shirt sleeve. "Abba?"

Tony turned to the little girl, "This is our new home, Tali. We are going to live here and wait for Ima."

At the mention of her mother, the toddler grinned, "Ima! Where Ima?"

"She will come to us while we are here," Tony hoped he was telling his baby the truth. Deep down, he knew that Ziva would be at the flat, eventually. It was the timing that worried him. He hated not knowing anything definite, but he believed with all of his being that she would return.

After paying the driver, Tony took the keys from his pocket. He inserted the flat key into the outer door of the building and was relieved when the door opened. He grabbed the suitcase and duffel, "Come, Tali. Follow Abba inside, please." She ran through the open door into the lobby and stopped, looking around in awe.

Tony glanced around; nothing had changed. Except everything had changed; Ziva was not by his side. In her place, Tali, their daughter. He spotted the elevator and called out to his little girl to come in that direction. She chose that moment to run off, spotting something intriguing in the hallways. Tony sighed and put the luggage by the elevator.

"Tali!" he spoke sharply to get the child's attention as he ran after her. He caught up to the mini-Ninja and grabbed her from behind, scooping her up into his arms. "Tali, do not run off like that again." She looked at her Abba's face and started crying.

"Tali sowry, Abba," she sniffled and then buried her face in her father's shirt.

"Shh, baby; Abba is sorry too. I was just scared that you ran away from me so quickly. Ani ohev otcha, yaldati." Tony carried her to the elevator and pressed the call button. He put soft kisses on his baby's head as her sniffles subsided.

The elevator doors opened and a couple stepped out; Tony put his foot in the doorway and tugged the suitcase into the elevator. He placed it so that it blocked the door from closing and retrieved Tali's go-bag and his backpack from where he had dropped them in his haste to run after Tali.

He adjusted the bags and Tali as the elevator ascended to the fourth floor; the image of a pack mule came into Tony's mind. Yep, having a toddler in tow certainly had turned him into something akin to a fully loaded mule!

_DING!_ The elevator signaled arrival at their floor. As the door opened, Tony pushed the suitcase into the doorway with his leg and then maneuvered himself around to the outside. Thank god the suitcase had wheels on all four corners, and that he had figured out how to strap his duffel on top. Apartment 421 was at the end of the hallway. Tony shifted Tali from his right arm to his left so that he could retrieve the key from his pocket.

He opened the door, "We're home, Tali; well at least for now." The flat looked the same as he remembered. She wiggled in his arms, her signal that she wanted to be put down. He set her on the floor and watched as she ran through the flat, exploring the rooms.

He followed her in the direction of the bedroom, dragging the suitcase behind. Memories flooded in as Tony sat on the bed.

_'Ziva, it's okay; you're having a nightmare.' He spooned her into his arms and spoke softly into her ear as she thrashed and moaned. Slowly she returned to the present and turned to face him._

_'Toda,' she said simply and locked gazes with her partner. He was more of a comfort that she was willing to admit._

_He gazed back, 'Want to talk about it?' He always offered; he wanted her to know that when she was ready, he would listen._

_Ziva nodded and began telling him about her nightmare and about some of the things that happened to her in Somalia. Tony listened, never breaking eye contact, as Ziva poured out the horrors. When she started sobbing, he pulled her to him, placing kisses on her head as she clutched his shirt._

_'Ziva, oh, Zi…' he whispered, tears streaming from his eyes. She curled into him and they fell asleep in each other's arms._

_Four hours later, they awoke in a tangle of limbs. Ziva put her hand on Tony's face and looked into his eyes. 'Thank you for always having my back.' She placed her lips on his. Tony decided to let her lead, but returned the kiss. Kisses turned to desire, desire turned to more. He reminded her that she could stop any time she needed and he would understand. He let her set the pace as they made love for the first time since the whole Rivkin fiasco and Somalia…_

"ABBA!" Tali tapped her father's face with her hand. She thrust a clean diaper into his hands and started tugging at her shorts and the diaper on her. "Poo."

Tony led Tali to the bathroom and knelt down to help her remove the shorts and soiled diaper. Just as he was about to wipe her bottom, she started to pee. He picked her up and quickly placed her on the toilet, making sure to hold her securely.

"That's a big girl, Tali," he encouraged as she peed in the toilet. "You wanna do this potty training thing?" _Mental note to self: internet research toilet training…_

She grinned and nodded, "Tali big girl."

He put the clean diaper on his daughter and when he picked up the shorts, he noticed the wet spots on them. He went to the bedroom to get some clean clothes from her suitcase. The pants and top that he took out first were snug-fitting. Instead of fighting to get the clothing on the child, he chose another outfit. It too was getting a bit tight, but at least he could get the leggings and top on.

"Well, mini-Ninja, it seems you are growing," he set the smaller clothing to the side. "I guess we are going to have to get you some new clothes when we go shopping."

Tali was picking through her suitcase tossing clothing out on the floor. He sighed, but realized that this would give him a chance to sort through her things.

"Let's play a game, Tali! You bring me the clothes, and I will put them away in the closet," Tony suggested as he walked over to the smaller of the two closets in the room. He put the shirt and shorts that were too small where he could use the items for comparison to the other clothes. Tali carried over pieces of clothing; Tony compared the sizes. He put items that were larger into the closet, and anything the same or smaller size to the side. Within an hour all of Tali's clothes were sorted and the ones that still fit were put up in the closet. The whole time, Tony chatted with his baby about her clothes, naming the articles of clothing, their colors, and the features such as buttons or snaps. Tali repeated the colors as he named them in English; she often also repeated the Hebrew color name, most of which Tony was learning already.

As he folded the last shirt, Tali tugged on his pants leg. "Ani raev, Abba. Tali hung-ee." Tony glanced at his watch; it was past noon.

"Me too, baby. Let's go potty and then we'll go out to eat and go shopping," he led her to the bathroom. She peed again, and grinned at her father. Maybe this would be easier than he thought; she seemed to be ready.

Father and daughter headed out to the street and Tony turned in the direction of the café where he and Ziva ate breakfast both days they were in Paris. After ordering their meal, he pulled up the memo app on his phone and began making shopping lists, one for groceries and one for general stuff, including clothing and training underwear for Tali.

After lunch, they walked to the markets. Tony noticed a big box store and headed them in that direction, hoping to do as much of their shopping as possible in one place. First stop was the children's' department. He looked at the label in Tali's top for a size and hoped the sizes here were similar so that he could buy one size larger than what she had on. Tali grabbed a brightly colored shirt off a shelf and held it out to her Abba.

"You want this one?" she nodded. He held the shirt up to her, trying to guess if it would be the right size. It looked okay but he was unsure. A woman with twins a bit older than Tali noticed his hesitation.

"I can help, if you would like," she offered.

"Merci." Tony smiled. "She's two, if that helps. I'm Tony and this is Tali."

The woman held out a hand, "Madeline; and they are Annette and Damien."

When Madeline's help, Tony and Tali chose five outfits, training underwear, two packages of Disney Princess regular underwear, a lightweight jacket, pajamas, and two dresses. He also found a kid-sized potty, a folding stroller, and a booster seat. Finally, he added two packs of disposable training pants or pull-ups to the shopping cart for night time.

In other departments, he found a folding shopping cart for hauling purchases home, figuring it would come in handy for grocery shopping. After paying for the purchases, he made arrangements to have everything but the stroller and shopping cart delivered to the flat. He pulled the stroller and cart out of their boxes and unfolded each to working order. He strapped Tali in the seat of the stroller and headed to the grocery market nearest the flat.

Ninety minutes later, a tired Abba and sound asleep Tali were in the elevator with a full cart of groceries and a pile of delivered goods sitting at their door. Tony put Tali on the bed for her nap and put the groceries and other purchases away while she slept. He sent a quick text to Tim to let him know they had arrived in Paris.

_'In Paris; mini-Ninja napping. Settling in to flat; Skype soon?'_

~July~

Tony and Tali settled in and established a routine fairly quickly. He found a toddler bed for her in the same big box store, and set up a bedroom for the little girl in the second bedroom of the flat. A toy box and toys soon joined the bed in the room, and the bookshelf quickly filled with children's books that father and daughter found in various used book stores, in the attractions around Paris, and on line at several large global shopping sites.

Tali's potty training was smooth for the most part; she was pretty much accident free within two weeks. Tony was amazed, figuring something had gone really right for him for once. He wasn't going to knock it though.

As they explored Paris, Tony kept up a constant narrative to his little one. He told her stories about her Ima and about the time her parents had spent in Paris and other cities. Tali's vocabulary in English grew in leaps and bounds as did Tony's Hebrew vocabulary. He was diligent about keeping up with the on line learning for the language.

They Skyped with Tim at least once per week; Tali often would say hello to 'Unka Gee' and then go off to play while Tony and Tim chatted.

The hardest part was the night, after Tali was asleep. Tony would watch a movie on the TV or on his tablet trying to keep himself occupied when he wasn't learning Hebrew or French on line. He would fall into the bed and toss and turn no matter how tired he was. Memories of sharing the bed with Ziva would fill his mind. He would then torture himself even more with remembering their time together in Israel in the summer of 2013 and the times together in DC. Exhausted, he would finally drift to a fitful sleep state until Tali woke him in the morning by tapping his face with her hands.

As July turned to August, Tony hoped that Ziva would make her way to them soon. He needed her as much as Tali needed her Ima, maybe even more…


	4. Back to Israel - August

Chapter 4: Back to Israel – August

The day to day in August was more of the same pattern Tony set for father and daughter in July. They would wake, have breakfast, check the weather forecast, and then decide on a plan for the day. Once a week, they had a shopping day for groceries and other things needed. The conversations as they walked about Paris became more dialogue and less Tony's monologue as Tali's vocabulary grew. Often she would ask about something she spotted on their travels.

"Abba, what dat?" Tali pointed to an inflatable slide at a park the pair frequented. The slide was new.

Tony looked in the direction she pointed; "That's a slide, Tali. A big blow-up slide. Do you want to go see it?"

"Ken, Abba," she tugged at her father's hand. Walking by his side was also a new behavior; Tali showed an independent streak a mile wide as she became more aware of the world around her. Tony learned the hard way that forcing her into the stroller was not a good tactic, but once she was tired of walking, having the stroller ready to go was a necessity. The one time he didn't have the stroller, he had ended up carrying her almost two miles to get back home. The little girl was getting too heavy to carry that far and his back reminded him for the next three days.

The pair approached the large slide; there were other children and parents checking out the newest attraction for the park. Tali watched two boys climb the stairs to the top of the slide. She clapped her hands in delight as the boys set off down the chutes.

"Do you want to try it?" Tony asked the little girl.

"Ken, Abba. GO!" Tali squealed with anticipation and followed her father over to the ticket booth.

Tony read over the sign, which was in French, English, and German. Children under three had to be accompanied by a parent. He was okay with that; the slide looked fun. He paid for himself and Tali and took the entrance tickets from the girl. She pointed to a gate where they could then enter the slide area.

"Merci." Tony turned to Tali, "Let's go; Abba has the tickets for you and me to ride the big slide." He took her by the hand and the pair walked to the entrance where Tony handed over the tickets to the young man at the gate.

At the base of the slide, there were six sets of steps to the top. Each set of steps led to one of the parallel chutes that made up the slide. Tony prodded Tali in the direction of one of the far steps, away from the older kids; there were less people on the farther side from the gate.

"Okay, Tali, we have to climb to the top so we can slide down," Tony pointed up to the platform from which they would start the descent. Tali looked upward, her eyes wide.

"Ooh, Abba, go up," she started climbing the steps with him right behind her. It was a slow process, but with Tony's help and encouragement, the pair finally made it to the top. They paused to look out over the park as Tony pointed out the street and park features below.

He sat down near the edge of the platform, his legs into the chute they would slide down. He pulled Tali into his lap and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Okay, baby, sit still and hang on. Are you ready?"

"GO, Abba, go!" Tali yelled. "GO!"

Tony pushed off and the pair started down the slope, picking up speed as they moved downward. The wind blew into their faces and tousled Tali's curls. As they neared the first set of bumps in the chute, Tony tightened his grip around his baby. She screamed with delight as they bumped up and down and nearly went airborne on the last bump as they entered the second downward chute.

Tony felt Tali rising off his lap as they hit that last bump; he wrapped his other arm around her. The thought of her flying out of his grasp had him terrified for a minute. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Once they entered the second chute, though, he calmed down. Tali was clearly having a blast and that made it all worth it.

At the end of the second chute another set of bumps ended in a ramp that launched the pair into the bouncy ending of the ride. It was like a giant blow up trampoline. Tony made the mistake of holding Tali tightly and when they landed he felt her bottom crash into his hip joint. That was going to hurt and leave a bruise he figured.

As they bounced, he loosened his hold on the toddler and she bounced on her own, laughing at her Abba. She jumped and squealed as father and daughter made their way to the exit area.

"Go again, Abba!" She looked at him with her best puppy eyes. Tony was amazed at how much she looked like her Ima. Except for the green eyes, the child looking at him could be three-year-old Ziva from so long ago. When she flashed her DiNozzo grin at him, he melted.

Against his better judgement, Tony took Tali for a second whirl on the slide, choosing a different path for their second ride. He had noticed at the bottom that the different chutes had varying extras to add to the downhill ride. The second downward chute had both bumps and turns and again launched the pair on to the bouncy area. This time he let Tali fly out onto the surface on her own. She grinned at him as she bounced and jumped at him. She landed feet first on the same hip as before. Ouch! He was going to be sore after this, but Tali's grin and laughter made it worth every pain.

That night, after getting Tali to bed, he sat on the couch with an ice pack on his hip. A nasty bruise was already forming in dark blues and purples. Oh well, the price of parenting. He opened his laptop computer and pulled up his email. Nothing from Tim, but a few messages from Abby and from Jimmy asking how he and Tali were doing. He sent a reply to each attaching a picture of Tali to each one.

He was about to go to the Hebrew learning site when something told him to check the secure email. He logged in and noticed that he had two new messages. He clicked on the inbox icon and had to look twice at the name on the most recent message. Ziva! He took a deep breath and clicked to open the message.

_'Hello, mon petit pois. I hope you and Tali are settled in to the flat. I cannot say where I am at the moment, but I think about both of you every day. I hope to be with you soon._

_'I need you to do something for me, if you will. My American passport is in the safety deposit box at the Bank Leumi branch near the Haifa house. Please retrieve the passport from the bank and put it in the wall safe in the master bedroom for me. (Behind the picture over the bed…)_

_'Toda raba, my love. I will see you before long. Z'_

He was stunned to say the least. She contacted him; it confirmed what he believed all along. How he wished she had contacted him before all the current situation had started; actually, when she found out that she was pregnant with his child would have been even better!

While the fact that Ziva hid the existence of his child from him still hurt, the love for her was his most powerful emotion. He wanted to be angry at her, but he just could not. The past months with their child had opened up his heart so much. Besides, when it came to all matters Ziva, he seemed to have a never-ending capacity to forgive her.

His mind flashed back to three years prior; when Ziva had shown him the safe in the Haifa house. At the time, she had told him if anything happened to her, that he was to retrieve the contents of the safe as soon as possible. In typical fashion, he had joked that she was invincible, that nothing could happen to her. She had scowled at him and then shown him how to open the safe. He had put the combination in a cryptic message in his phone, mostly to reassure her, not thinking he'd ever need it.

The next though to hit is mind was that if Ziva needed her US passport, that meant that she was going to be travelling with her OWN identity. Did that mean that she was coming out of hiding finally?

Tony logged out of the secure email and typed in the URL for booking a flight on El-Al. He found a flight leaving in about twenty hours that would get him to Tel Aviv – Yafa midday. He booked seats for himself and Tali and then booked a return flight for two days later. No need to hang around Israel when Ziva was headed to Paris; he hoped…

His mind whirled through a list of what he needed to do to prepare for the trip. He could probably get away with just his duffel and Tali's go-bag. As he stood from the couch to start gathering things to pack, the ice pack slid off his hip and landed on his bare foot. The hip was sore and he was positive the bruise was getting uglier, but it didn't matter. His Ninja was coming home!

~Israel~

Tali slept for most of the late night flight, for which Tony was grateful. He had packed his tablet for her to watch movies, but she nodded off before the plane even left the runway. Once in Tel Aviv, he rented a car, not caring that he could be tracked since it no longer seemed to matter to Ziva if she was asking for her REAL identity documents. He drove to Haifa, stopping to pick up breakfast as they passed a McDonalds fast food restaurant. Tali gobbled her pancakes and fruit as he drove to the Haifa house.

Inside, he could feel Ziva's presence the minute he entered the door. Tali must have sensed something as well and ran through the rooms calling for her Ima. Tony put the duffel bag in the master bedroom. He glanced at the bed, wanting to bury his face in the pillow that he knew must have her familiar scent. No, he would wait. He had to get to the bank first, then he and Tali could get some groceries and maybe visit the beach. If he succumbed to the urge to hug the pillow to him he might never get anything done…

"Tali," he called to the little girl. "Let's go, yaldati; we have errands to run!"

She came to him, "Ima?"

Tony sighed, how he wished he could tell his baby that yes, they were going to see Ima. "We have to go get some documents that will help Ima come home to us." Before they left, he checked the freezer; Ziva had consumed all but one of the lasagna meals that he made. He made a mental note to add more food to the freezer for her while he and Tali were there.

At the bank, he quickly found the passport in the deposit box and also took Ziva's Virginia drivers' license from the box. He left the library card and Metro pass for another time. Both items went into his chest pocket where he could keep them relatively secure while shopping.

Once father and daughter purchased groceries for their few days in Haifa, Tony drove back to the house. He put away the food, giving Tali a snack as she watched him move about the kitchen. She spotted a cap on the counter and grabbed it.

After pulling the cap on her head, she grinned, "Abba, look, Ima hat. Tali have Ima hat!" One look told her father that hat was not coming off the kid without a fight. He was glad she had something of her mother's to help with missing Ima.

Tali fingered the Star of David that hung around her neck. She looked at Tony as she did so; he nearly cried at how much the mini-Ninja was like her Ima. The way she touched the pendant reminded him so much of how Ziva fiddled with it when she was stressed or thinking. That cap on Tali's curls added to her look-alike appearance to her mother.

Tony scooped Tali into a hug, "Ani ohev otach, baby girl. Abba loves you so much." He buried his face in her curls to hide his tears. Tali pulled back slightly and ran her hand over her Abba's face.

"No cry, Abba. Tali love Abba," she planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek, causing his eyes to tear up yet again. God, he loved this little girl so much…

He wiped at his eyes and nose; he remembered the passport and drivers' license that he had placed on the dresser when they arrived back at the house.

"Tali, I have to put the things we got for Ima in a safe place, but after that, how about we watch a movie?" He moved towards the master bedroom with her following behind. He took the picture off the wall and opened the safe; he didn't need to look at his phone. He remembered the numbers by what Ziva had told him in 2013; his birthday, her birthday, and the date she had walked into the bullpen for the first time… He put the passport and drivers' license on top of the other documents and the two bundles of cash that were already in the safe. Three small bags of diamonds were to the side of the documents. He shut the safe, spun the dial a few times, and then re-hung the picture.

"Okay, yaldati, movie time!"


	5. Back to Paris - Late August

Chapter 5: Paris Again – August

The two nights at the Haifa house were probably the most difficult nights that Tony had since Tali came into his life. He was certain that Tali also sensed her mother's presence at the house since the last time the two of them had been there. She refused to take the cap off her head, insisting that she needed to sleep with it on. He didn't fight her on it; he knew exactly where she was coming from on the attachment to something that reminded her of Ima.

Tony had buried his face in the pillows on the bed in the master bedroom when he finally allowed himself to lie on the bed. Ziva's familiar scent filled his nostrils as soon as he inhaled. The fact that she had been there within the past month, so close, yet still so far, filled his eyes with tears. God, he missed her so, so much; this was almost as bad as the sleepless nights when he first got back to DC in 2013 without her.

_'Keep it together for Tali,'_ he reminded himself over and over as the tears rolled down his face.

He must have cried himself to sleep; he startled awake at 0415 from a very vivid dream of Ziva. A naked, sensual Ziva on this very bed… Time to hit the shower and clear his head, among other things…

After toweling dry, slipping on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, Tony pulled out his tablet. He found a recipe for eggplant parmesan and made a pan of the entrée as well as packaged the remaining chicken and vegetables from their dinner the night before. He was just putting the meals into the freezer for Ziva when Tali came from her room a bit after 0700.

"Boker tov, Abba. Pancakes, pweese?" Tali yawned and made puppy eyes at her father. The cap was still on her curls, but had shifted sideways so that the bill was over her left ear.

Her Abba melted, "Of course, mini-Ninja. Do you want some of the peaches as well?"'

"Ken, Abba." Tali sat at the table watching her father prepare her breakfast, and talking to Kelev about pancakes and peaches. Tony grinned as he listened to his baby girl; she was definitely a DiNozzo in the talking department! He was still amazed at how much her vocabulary had changed over the short time she had been with him.

He put the plate of silver dollar pancakes and peach slices in front of her, watching her eyes widen at the sight of the food. He turned to fill her lidded cup with milk, snapped the lid in place, and inserted the straw. When he turned back to Tali, all of the peach slices were gone, and a single pancake was in her hand, partially eaten.

"Someone must be growing," he reached over and tickled her ribs as he placed the cup on the table. With a very serious look, his little girl nodded at her father.

"Tali is big girl!" she grinned at him, reaching her hand to tickle him back. "Abba gwow?"

"Oh, no, baby girl; Abba doesn't need to grow any more," he laughed at her. "Want some more pancakes?"

She grinned and nodded, "Yes, pweese, Abba. More pancakes! More peach!"

He quickly poured the last of the batter into four more silver dollar pancakes, and sliced the last peach onto her plate. As she watched and squealed happily, he flipped the pancakes onto the plate, catching them in midair. Her laughs at his antics made him smile; just hearing Tali's laugh was medicine for his soul.

"Good thing your Ima isn't here; she'd scold me for playing with the food," he put the plate in front of Tali with a grin. She reached for a pancake before he even got the plate set on the table. "Can't say you didn't get the DiNozzo food gene!"

"Nozzo?" Tali asked through a mouthful of pancake.

"Yeah, baby, that's your last name. Tali DiNozzo; that's you," he gently poked a finger on her belly, causing her to laugh.

"Tali Nozzo."

"DI – Nozzo. Tali DiNozzo."

"Tali DI – Nozzo," she grinned at her Abba as he grinned back at her and wrapped the little girl in a hug. He wondered how so much love could fill his heart for one little person; every day, just when he thought his heart would burst from the love he had for this little girl, something would add just a bit more love.

"Abba DI – Nozzo," she put her finger in his chest.

"Yes, Tali, that's right."

"Ima DI – Nozzo?" she looked into his face. He swallowed a lump in his throat, thinking about how to reply. The tears pushed at the corners of his eyes and he blinked them back.

"Maybe someday, yaldati…" If he had his way, that someday would be sooner rather than later.

~Tony and Tali~

The flight back to Paris arrived two hours later than scheduled; they had hit some rough weather en route and the pilot had to adjust course to avoid the worst of it. An exhausted Tony and Tali arrived back at the Paris flat at nearly midnight. He laid her on her bed fully clothed and fell onto his bed minutes later.

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, but it was still dark when he was awakened by Tali's sobs and calling out for him. He ran a hand over his face and rushed to her room.

"Abba," she cried pitifully. "Ab-" her cries were interrupted by the sound of her vomiting. Tony was suddenly fully awake! He turned on the light by her bed to see his baby sitting in a puddle of vomit, looking miserable.

"Oh, baby," he picked her up carefully, and headed to the bathroom. He brushed his lips on her forehead; she was burning with fever. Another round of heaving made it into the sink. He grabbed a washcloth and ran water onto it. He pressed the wet cloth to Tali's face and forehead. She looked at him miserably and leaned into his chest. He pulled her closer, placing a soft kiss on her curls.

"Abba," she moved slightly against him. "Abba, tummy hurt." She moved again and puked on his shirt and wet them both.

"Shh, baby. I know it hurts." He stripped her clothes off, and ran the bath water. He took off his shirt and put all of the soiled clothing into a single pile to be washed after he got the little girl cleaned up. After the bath, he put a pull-up on her first; then a clean pair of pajamas. She whimpered as he held her, trying to get her to sleep on his bed. When she finally fell back asleep, he slipped out of the room to strip her bed, and start the first of several loads of laundry.

After he put fresh sheets on her bed, he grabbed his laptop and went to his favorite parenting website. He looked up her symptoms and read about possible illnesses or reactions that could have caused the vomiting and fever. He made a mental note to pick up a fever thermometer at the big box store on their next trip.

When Tali woke up about 0800, she nibbled at a piece of toast that he offered her and drank about half of the apple juice in her cup. Luckily, the food she did eat stayed down, but the little Ninja was definitely not her usual active self. Tony set up her favorite Disney DVDs in a loop. Tali lay on the sofa with Kelev and watched movies while her father finished up laundry. Several times when Tony checked on her, she was asleep or nearly so. He checked her forehead each time; she was definitely not as warm as during the night.

As he was putting the last of the clothes away, his phone signaled an incoming text message. He checked the screen; Tim. He'd forgotten that it was their Skype night.

_'Still on for Skype?'_ Tim's message said.

_'Mini-Ninja sick; okay to wait until next time?'_ Tony hated to miss a call with Tim, but he also didn't want to have to run off in the middle of a call to care for his sick baby.

_'No prob. Hope she feels better soon.'_

_'Vomiting and fever; I've been initiated…'_ Tony wondered how Ziva had managed by herself with a much younger Tali when the baby had been sick. He **should have been there **to help. She should have told him about Tali as soon as she knew she was pregnant. The hurt bubbled up unexpectedly; he had let go of the anger early on, realizing that holding on to it was not good for either Tali or himself. The hurt stayed though; he could not work past it, even if he wanted to. He knew that would be something he and Ziva would need to talk about and work through for sure.

"Abba!" Tali called out for her father from the living room. He put his folded shirt in the closet and went to his baby.

She spotted him as he approached the sofa, "Abba; thirsty." She reached out to him with both arms, her signal that she wanted him to pick her up.

He scooped her into his arms, "Does your tummy feel better?"

She nodded and grinned at him. "No hurt. Tali thirsty; Tali hungry."

In the kitchen, he set her on her booster seat and opened the fridge, "Hmm, let's see. We have cheese; we have some leftover rice and chicken…"

"Gwill cheese!" Tali loved grilled cheese sandwiches and he often ended up making them when she refused any other foods. He could always get her to eat pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, strawberries, or peaches.

"Grilled cheese it is," he took out the necessary ingredients and made sandwiches for Tali and for himself. She gobbled up the sandwich he cut into four triangles for her, grinning at him the whole time.

The food stayed down, and Tali's fever disappeared. Tony was thankful she seemed to recover quickly. He hoped that whatever had made her sick stayed away, and that he didn't pick up the bug. He had to admit, though, that his accelerated initiation into the parent club had been an interesting learning journey. The best part was the amount of love that filled his heart for his mini-Ninja!


	6. Waiting in Paris - September

Chapter 6: Waiting in Paris - September

August turned into September and father and daughter explored the city of Paris as the beginnings of the change of seasons could be felt. Some early color changes in the trees along the river added new things their discussions as they walked. Tali pointed out the colors, correctly naming most of them in English and Hebrew. Ziva's cap became an almost permanent fixture on Tali's curls.

Tony made a note to self to keep track of both Kelev and the cap. On one particularly windy day, Tali had skipped ahead to the slide in the park near the flat. The wind had caught the cap and ripped it from the little girl's head, sending the cap tumbling along the grass. Tali had let out a shrill scream, scaring the daylights out of her Abba. He was only about ten feet or so away from her, putting his backpack in the stroller so that he could catch the toddler at the bottom of the slide. He dropped the backpack and ran to his child.

"Tali, what is it, baby?"

"Hat, Abba, hat," she pointed and cried loudly. Tony looked in the direction she was pointing and spotted the cap tossing over the grass.

"Stay here, Tali," he ran towards the tumbling hat, veering in anticipation to intercept the next movement. He reached the cap just as another gust blew it slightly and quickly reached out to snag the cap before it took off again. He misjudged the distance and ended up tackling the cap in a replay-worthy dive onto the ground.

'_Ooof,_' his hand hit the cap as the rest of him hit the ground. He wrapped his fingers around the bill; hat safe. He lay still for a minute, catching his breath and doing a quick assessment of body parts. He was pretty sure he had skinned his elbows, and his knees and hips would sport bruises for a few days. He was just about to sit up when Tali flung herself on his back, laughing.

"Abba, you funny!" she giggled as she spoke. "Abba you fall down! Do again?"

Tony groaned, "No, yaldati, that made Abba hurt. But I got your hat!" He held up the hat for her to see and she grinned at him. "Tell you what; since it's so windy today, let's put the cap in my pack so it stays safe and doesn't blow away again."

"Ken, Abba. Go slide now?" she got in his face, looking him in the eyes. She tugged on his free hand, "Get up, Abba. Go now!"

~Tony and Tali~

At bedtime on 18 September, Tali suddenly became very clingy. No warning, no reason that Tony could figure out. He read her bedtime story, sang "Numi, numi," and rubbed her back to help her fall asleep as usual. She dozed off quickly and he tiptoed out of her room. He sat in the living room with his laptop, checking his email accounts. He planned to listen to another lesson or two on the Hebrew learning website and then go to bed himself. He had just pulled up the log-in page for the secure email account when Tali came into the room.

"Abba," she walked over to him and pushed at his computer. He closed the laptop and put it on the coffee table. Tali climbed into his lap.

"Are you okay?" Tony checked for a fever by pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Need you Abba. Need Ima," the little girl snuggled into her Abba's chest, Kelev clutched in her arm.

"I'm right here, baby," Tony put a gentle kiss on his baby's curls.

"Hold me, Abba." She tried to snuggle even closer.

Tony wrapped his arms around the toddler, "I won't let go until you say it's okay to let go, deal?"

Tali nodded into his chest. "Where Ima? Ima come home? To Tali and Abba?"

He sighed, "I hope so, Tali. I hope so…" He pulled her tighter and kissed her forehead. He blinked back tears; he hoped Ziva would be with them soon. Tali needed her mother; he needed his Ninja.

Thirty minutes later, he was sure the little girl was asleep. He carefully stood up with her in his arms, intending to put her back in her bed for the night. She moved slightly as he went through the doorway to her room. Just as he bent to place her on the bed she woke.

"NO, Abba, NO!" she cried out. "HOLD me!"

"But, baby, Abba has to sleep too," he tried to explain to her.

"Sleep here!"

He realized that she wasn't going to sleep unless he was with her, so he suggested that she sleep in his bed. She agreed and let him place her on the bed while he got ready for sleep. Once he lay down, she was attached to him like Velcro. He fell asleep with his daughter clinging to his side.

The following morning she didn't want him out of sight. He finally convinced her to watch one of her Disney movies on his tablet while sitting on his bed so that he could get a quick shower. The whole day was spent in the flat, Tali never more than a few feet away from her Abba. She sat outside the bathroom door when he needed to use the facilities.

While she watched a movie on the tablet, Tony finally got to check his secure email. There was one message from Ziva, sent on the morning of the eighteenth. She sent one word, '_SOON!_' Did he dare hope? How soon was 'soon?'

Again, Tali insisted that she sleep in her Abba's room, clinging to him most of the night. When they awoke on the morning of 20 September, she was full of energy. Tony hoped the change marked the end of the clinginess. Unfortunately, the energy would have to be burned off indoors since he could see the rain pouring down on the city. No park or walk today unless the weather changed!

He followed the mini-Ninja-in-motion to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She sat on her booster seat with Kelev and looked at him expectantly.

"Tali hungry, Abba. Tali want pancakes, Abba," she batted her eyes at her Abba, and grinned.

"Yes, ma'am, Princess Tali; one order of pancakes coming right up!" Tony took out the necessary ingredients and began mixing batter. As he waited for the griddle to heat to the correct temperature, he poured a cup of juice for Tali and coffee for himself. He was glad he had splurged and bought the coffee maker with the self-timer; all he had to do was fill the tank with water, add the filter and grounds and set the timer for the morning.

He put the juice in front of Tali and his mug of coffee on the counter. Tali watched as her father spooned the batter onto the griddle in silver dollar sized rounds. He flipped the pancakes as they browned and when both sides were cooked, he flipped pancakes onto plates. Tali laughed and clapped her hands at the show.

He put Tali's plate in front of her and grabbed his own plate off the counter. He was just about to sit down when he heard a noise from the flat door. He put the plate down and moved to the doorway between the kitchen and living room. He heard someone try to turn the doorknob and then the sound of a key being inserted.

"Tali, let's play a game; you are going to hide in my room until I come find you, okay?" He quickly picked up his baby and her plate of pancakes and whisked her into his room. He pulled the door to, a wide-eyed toddler watching him exit the room.

Tony moved to the doorway between the kitchen and living room again, listening. The key turned in the knob, and he reached to his side instinctively for the weapon that was no longer there. Well, damn. He vowed to protect his little girl at all costs; whoever was trying to get in would have to go through him to get anywhere near his daughter.

He watched as the door slowly opened; a person stepped into the doorway. The individual looked around the room, and Tony held back a gasp as he recognized the familiar wild curls. Yes, they were much shorter than he remembered, but those curls could only belong to one person. She turned and looked in his direction.

Their eyes locked; his heart was just about leaping out of his chest. Was he seeing things or was she really standing mere feet away from him? He didn't dare blink; if he was seeing things, he didn't want the vision to disappear. He was about to take a step towards her when a blur rocketed past him.

"IMA!" Tali was running across the living room; she had managed to get past him unheard. The mini-Ninja had inherited her Ima's stealth for sure. He watched as Tali flung herself at her mother. Ziva was looking at her daughter now, her arms open in welcome.

"Oh, yaldati," she wrapped the baby in a hug and buried her face in the toddler's curls. She blinked at the tears in her eyes. "I love you, baby; I have missed you so much."

"IMA, Ima! Abba, look, Ima here! Ima, look, Abba here!" Tali clung to her mother and turned to look at her father. Ziva picked the little girl up and looked at Tony. Again they met eyes; he brushed away some tears and started walking to mother and daughter as Ziva pushed the flat door closed with her hip.

Tony walked as if in a trance; he didn't dare stop looking at Ziva. She reached out her free hand to him; he took her hand on his. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Hey," he whispered, afraid to break the magical spell and have her disappear from his sight. Tali turned and wrapped her arm around her father, the other still around her Ima. Tony reached his free hand to Ziva's cheek and brushed away a tear. She leaned into his touch.

Ziva opened her mouth as if she were going to speak. He cut her off by fusing his lips to hers; his tears ran freely over his cheeks as she returned the kiss.

* * *

**A/N Thanks to all who have read, followed, favorited, reviewed. There will be one final chapter to 'Ziva's Journey.' Both stories have planted some seeds for future stories, including a sequel as Tony and Ziva navigate the first month or so as a family unit.**


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